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2012 Card Market Outlook

Kathy Krassner -- Gifts and Dec, 12/1/2011 2:00:00 AM

SINCE NO ONE KNOWS THE GREETING CARD INDUSTRY BETTER THAN the offi cers and executive committ ee of the Greeting Card Association (GCA), we asked these 10 industry leaders to share their thoughts on the top trends they predict will infl uence the card marketplace in 2012.

Back to Nature
An off shoot of the eco-friendly movement - a trend that's undoubtedly here to stay - is an increase in nature imagery on greeting cards. Nature references such as leaves and fl owers will play a part in the design of many diff erent types of cards - from birthday to thank-you to friendship to sympathy, notes GCA at-large director Don Kallil, president of Design Design.
"Longing for authenticity, we see many buyers looking to ‘nature' for comfort and relaxation," observes GCA at-large director Carlos Llansó, CEO of Legacy Publishing Group. "Songbirds, wildlife, horses, florals and all things garden will remain a strong trend in 2012."

	Back to Nature. A nature image is featured on this "Postage-Paid Greetings" sympathy card. $3.99. Hallmark Cards Inc. 800.425.5627.
The Price of Value. Die-cut flaps are featured on envelopes accompanying Christmas cards. $20/box of 16 cards and envelopes. Masterpiece Studios. 800.447.0219.

In fact, all kinds of animals continue to be perennial favorites - from cats and dogs to monkeys. "Animals continue to drive sales," confirms GCA at-large director George White, president and COO of Up With Paper, adding, "Icon-driven products seem to be getting stronger - i.e., cards with one central feature, whether it is a symbol or, more often for us, an animal."
Additionally, animal prints, reptile textures and other wildlife patterns have dominated this year's fashion runways, so expect them to have an influence on card and stationery products in 2012 as well.

Make 'em Laugh
Humor will remain extremely important in everyday cards in 2012. "The increasing popularity of humorous cards dovetails with the state of the national economy and psyche," asserts GCA at-large director Steven Gimbelman, president of Designer Greetings.

Make’em Laugh.

Make'em Laugh. "Exposé" birthday card features a humorous, pet-themed photographic image. $3.29. Designer Greetings. 800.654.6960.

"With the world's dramatic economic and political landscape playing out on the news everyday, a little laugh or pick-me-up goes a long way for anyone," believes GCA president Susan January, vice president of Leanin' Tree. "Humorous birthday cards will be even more popular than they already are, with everyone feeling a little of that ‘we've survived another year' mode because of what's happening to them personally and in the world at large." She says that women will continue to gravitate toward funny cards regarding aging, marriage, friendship and life's daily challenges. "Girlfriend humor offers encouragement and a shared laugh between many of today's overworked women and moms," shares January.

Just Your Type
Complementing the imagery on new greeting cards - and increasingly used in place of it - are words executed in a variety of creative typefaces.

Just Your Type. Retro type and bold colors accent this hand-silkscreened card, which reads: "so much!" $3.95. Great Arrow Graphics. 800.835.0490.

"We are seeing a love for retro, 1960s type designs and intense colors," reports GCA treasurer Alan Friedman, president of Great Arrow Graphics, who thinks this could be a reflection of the "Occupy Wall Street" generation. Nontraditional typefaces are also being seen by Kallil of Design Design, whose company's latest cards include a variety of fun type styles, including hand-written looks, vintage-typewriter fonts, playful configurations of large and small letters, words presented in varying colors, retro circus-poster-like lettering and more.

Let's Get Personal
Another ongoing trend in 2012 will be personalization, which shows no sign of slowing down - whether it's names or monograms appearing on products, or merchandise featuring some sort of DIY component.
     "People are seeing themselves more as producers, not consumers, and want to be able to play a role in the product," says GCA vice president Steve Doyle, senior VP of public affairs and communications at Hallmark Cards, noting this trend is part of what's being referred to as the "maker movement." Says Doyle: "They want the ability to finish the product. For example, as a consumer, I might not want to go through all of the trouble to put together an entire scrapbook, but if someone can do most of the work and I can finish it, I've had a hand in doing it, not just purchasing it."
     Photographic cards are another example of the strength of the personalization trend, particularly for custom invitations and holiday cards. "Personal card buyers are continuing to focus their purchases on photo cards," confirms GCA at-large director Jason Evans, general manager at Birchcraft Studios. He points out, however, that "business consumers tend to gravitate toward traditional holiday- themed cards."
     "Personalization is hot hot hot!" emphasizes Leanin' Tree's January. "Whether it's printed notecards on a fashionable background or a personalized card where the consumer can upload their photos and personalize the greeting, it's as much about the sender as it is the receiver. The more personalized a card can be through photos, personal messages, font and color selections, etc., the more the sender feels as if they've really gone above and beyond the norm and sent something truly special and unique!"

The Price of Value
"There is a very noticeable buzz in the social-expressions industry," states Designer Greetings' Gimbelman. "It is being caused by consumer pushback against high retails during these particularly challenging economic times."
"The strongest trend for 2012 will be value," asserts Llansó of Legacy Publishing Group. "Customers want and need something they can afford. Whether a retail customer is looking for a card for a loved one or even a gift for themselves, they are looking for a quality item at a great price."

The Price of Value.

The Price of Value. Hello Kitty "Sticky Note Pop-Up Portfolio" features four different die-cut sticky notepads. $6.99. Up With Paper. 800.852.7677.

January agrees that customers won't be willing to sacrifice product quality in 2012. "While consumers are still watching their spending in this economy, they want to make sure that their special-occasion cards are really and truly special, so high perceived value is very important, along with embellishments such as glitter, foil, die-cuts, 3-D add-ons, sound chips, technology enhancements, etc."
Also adding value are decorative envelopes to accompany these cards. "The envelope is the first impression when receiving a greeting card, so why not make it a good one?" remarks GCA immediate past president Doug Faust, vice president of Masterpiece Studios. "Adding value with matching envelopes featuring die-cut flaps makes the greeting card experience fun from beginning to end."

Staying Connected
Despite consumers' increased usage of email, texting and social media to communicate, the signifi cance of sending a greeting card will not diminish in 2012 - or anytime soon.
"With the continued emergence of technology and social-media tools to assist them, our core consumers are more connected today than ever before," comments GCA at-large director Christy Kaprosy, vice president of marketing at American Greetings. "That shows us that relationships are still of great importance to them. While they appreciate the convenience that new technologies offer, they continue to deeply value how the greeting card category helps them to express their feelings in a creative way that is also authentic and heartfelt."

Staying Connected. Contemporary wording helps send well wishes to the brideto- be. $2.49. Leanin' Tree. 800.525.0846.

"The greeting card market continues to be affected by the shift to online communication media, but the new media are not a panacea, and opportunities remain for companies that know their niche and continue to innovate with new product," remarks Great Arrow's Friedman, noting that his company is careful to pay attention to the occasions that cannot appropriately be addressed via email.
Adds Friedman: "While we are seeing store closings by long-established stores due to the challenging retail environment, we are also seeing new accounts open as a new generation of consumers and entrepreneurs responds to a retail landscape of huge parking lots and a handful of big-box chain stores. Some of our chain-store customers - most noticeably higher-end supermarket and grocery accounts - are responding to a consumer demand for diversity and offering a large selection of smaller publishers in their card departments."

Keep It Simple
Just as less-personal online communication is creating an appreciation for the more personal aspect of greeting card sending, so too are today's busy lifestyles creating a desire for simpler times. "We see an upturn in interest in what is known as the ‘Heritage' trend, which is centered on regaining an appreciation for simple things and simple pleasures," shares Llansó of Legacy Publishing Group.
Simplicity - whether in product design, card copy, or even when it comes to the shopping process - will certainly be an important trend in the year to come.

Back to Nature/Keep It Simple. Address Book Binder is a hardcover, three-ring binder that includes 128 pages of text. $17. 800.322.3866. Legacy Publishing Group.

"Convenience matters," says Hallmark's Doyle, "and so whatever a retailer can do in their store to overcome obstacles and consumer barriers to participate in any category, they should. Make the customer's shopping experience as convenient, accommodating and pleasant as possible. The one thing that an independent merchant can do is to offer a level of personal service and interaction that is hard to replicate outside the environment of an independently owned store, and that's an opportunity for retailers to differentiate themselves in the marketplace - in any year."

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